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Jenna Clark always tried to bury her bleak beginnings in Montana's Bitterroot Valley, but a newfound secret about her father s identity forces Jenna to dig up her past. While there, mysterious threats and dangers suddenly enter her life that bring about an unexpected man of her dreams--Michael Callahan. After a lifetime of running away from family and love will Jenna find the courage to confront her past and step forward into the future?

Janice Mineer was born in the state of Washington. She graduated from Brigham Young University and later taught English, allowing her to spend quality time with something she loves--the written word. A hopeless romantic, Janice has played harp for weddings, even for one that took place on the edge of a cliff over a river. Because of her first husband s long illness, Janice and her family spent extended time away from home to be near the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota. When her husband passed away, Janice dedicated herself to work with the Ronald McDonald House to provide a home away from home for families who need medical care for their children. Janice is the author of a children s book, Gingerbread from the Heart. Secret Heart of the Bitterroot is her first novel. Janice lives in the Bitterroot valley of Montana with her husband, Randy. Between them they have five children and 11 beautiful grandchildren.

I loved everything about this book!

6/26/2017

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I really enjoyed reading this book! I loved the characters, the setting, the comparison of Jenna to the Bitterroot flowers, the story. So great all the way around!

I love the way Jenna discovers her strength throughout this story. At the beginning, she's just going about her normal things. She works at Delta in Missoula, Montana and her job involves a lot of making sure other people are happy. She also has a sort of boyfriend who is a lot of work and never seems to bother to listen to anything she says. I didn't really like him. But as she deals with the curve balls she's thrown, her strength of character emerges and things seem to work out better for her. I really liked that she kicked the boyfriend to the curb and I loved how she got rid of his flowers.

I liked Michael. He was a great guy who had been through a lot and he really helped Jenna to find her own strength buried within her.

The plot has tons of suspense and the way it's written you have no idea who is targeting Jenna, or why just like she doesn't. There are tons of twists and turns and it kept me wanting to read more and more.

And the love story part was great too! I highly recommend this great book! Make sure to read it for yourself!

Meagan @Blooming with books

WI

A story that you'll love from the cover

6/24/2017

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family values

story

writing style

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Heartbeat of the Bitterroot

By Janice Mineer

The cover alone is reason enough pick up this book and read it - the cover is gorgeous but the real treat comes from what is hidden within. Jenn Clark was fortunate that she was able to spend as much of her childhood with her Aunt Ann, Uncle Martin, and cousins - if not for their love and support she may have found herself as adrift in life as her late mother was. But her early years have laid a foundation that has made a mark and she feels that she will never have the family that she wants or any family if her boyfriends are any indication.

But Jenna has come back to her roots in Montana with her latest job transfer and she is determined to find what she is missing and to spend time with the family who has loved her through the years. And to start off she's about to attend her cousin's wedding - a wedding that may, in fact, reveal a little-known secret about her past and her father.

But the revelation that she never knew her father is a revelation to more than Jenna. But with the passage of so much time can she ever hope to find the truth as to who she is? This journey will allow Jenna to see her mother in a new light.

But when Jenna finds her safety threatened the question becomes why. Is it related to her search for answers about her past or is it related to something entirely different? And then there is Michael Callahan her cousin Jack's friend who has somehow found himself involved in Jenna's search. Is he someone that Jenna could trust her heart with? Or is his heart already taken?

Altogether this is a beautiful story that one will want to re-read. The characters are alive and one can empathize with them. Well, maybe not Jenna's jerk maybe-ex-boyfriend Derek. And I loved the subtle weaving of the strength and beauty of the Bitterroot throughout the story as a parallel to Jenna's own.

I was provided a review copy of this book by the publisher with no expectations of a positive review. All expressed opinions are my own.

Mandy Al-Bjaly

Mebane, NC

beautiful

6/22/2017

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After reading Janice Mineer’s Heartbeat of the Bitterroot, I think I may need to take a vacation to the Bitterroot Valley someday. Just the author’s beautiful imagery of the landscape kept me thoroughly involved in the novel, not to mention a complex love story, dangerous situations, complicated family life, and interesting, likable characters.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading from Jenna Clark’s point of view. She works at the airport in Missoula. She had a difficult childhood, and her relationship (or lack thereof) with her mother, hurt her enough that she has a hard time realizing that she deserves happiness, and that she could make anyone else happy.

Sometimes when we hear that there is a love story (or even a love triangle), in a novel, we may roll our eyes and assume it will be just like all the rest. This book is different. You feel and experience the inward and outward struggles of many of the characters, and you hope for their safety, success and joy.

I think this novel expertly shows the importance that family can have on one’s life, either for good or bad. However, it also shows that regardless of the circumstances you have faced, you can rise above them. You have potential, you are special, and you do deserve happiness no matter what obstacles you have faced thus far.

This is a very deep novel on so many levels. To add to that, Jenna also encounters numerous strange and dangerous situations. The reader has to figure out what is going on and why. It is interesting that though the people around seem to figure out the connections, Jenna can’t always see it. I think that is likely accurate, as we don’t want to see what is right in front of us sometimes. We want to avoid pain if we can.

Though I loved the book, I can’t say it was perfect. Two of the characters kind of drop out of the story with no explanation why. I wondered why they didn’t remain. Also, I felt the resolution of the mystery was too quick, and the explanation didn’t make a lot of sense the first time I read it either.

That being said, I highly recommend reading this book. The bitterroot flower has a strong connection in the story, and offers a lovely metaphor to ponder, making the title of the novel perfect for the story.

ablisscomplete.com

katie

Good

6/18/2017

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Set in Missoula, Montana, HEARTBEAT OF THE BITTERROOT has a sweet and almost nostalgic feel to it. Jenna was raised by an aunt and uncle and works for the airport and has recently moved back to be closer to family. I love that family seems so important to the characters.

The wording in this story is very rich and uses good imagery. I could visualize the setting really well and the characters came to life, to a point, but there are a one or two that I wish would've stayed flat because I really didn't care for them. I wanted to see more character interaction, feeling, and depth, especially with the romantic angle.

Usually a book has a conflict or two for the characters to work through and I felt that this one had too many. Things were flowing along just fine and then something was thrown in and I wondered what that had to do with the anything and then it would randomly pop up again later. I didn't feel a good build-up to what was happening and there were a lot of bumps in the road for Jenna to overcome and it was a little jolting to have them come out of nowhere. A lot of the threads were loosely tied together and I wanted them to be more connected somehow.

This is a good read, especially if you like bursts of mystery/suspense and an overall gentle flow.

*I received a copy through the publisher, which did not affect my thoughts in any way. All opinions are my own.*

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